Last time we looked at four traditional fall bass baits. This time we’re going to look at four nontraditional baits.
In-line spinners
A lot of guys think they aren’t bass baits. That’s a big, big mistake. I’ve caught a ton of bass on them.
The first advantage to an in-line spinner is that it’s easy to match the hatch with them. They come in all sorts of sizes and with all sorts of blade designs. Rooster Tails and Shysters have long thin blades. The stuff from Mepps has a wider blade. The Panther Martin designs have unique blade shapes and a unique spin.
The available colors are limitless. And, if you can’t find exactly what you want, it only takes a minute or two to repaint them with nail polish or model paint. They’ll dry in the boat while you rig your rod.
The final thing I want to mention is cost. These lures are really inexpensive. That’s a real plus.
Soft Plastic Jerkbait
I use these minnow imitators when I want to shock the fish into biting something. My preference is The Jerk. It’s in the Havoc line made by Berkley. It’s fairly versatile and it’s available in my favorite shock color — Pinky.
The trick here is not to use it very often. It’s at its best when the fish see it, don’t know what to think, and react out of their predator instinct.
Bladed Jig
This is one that I think too many guys overlook when they put their fall baits together. You can fish these baits sort of like a jig with a lift-and-drop presentation. I call it feathering. These baits are not spinnerbaits and they aren’t jigs. They are a combination of the two.
I have a video up that explains all the details of how to rig them and how to fish them. Bladed jigs are serious fish catchers, but only if you fish them correctly.
My preference is the Molix Lover. I choose my lure color based on what the local forage looks like. I don’t leave the dock in the fall without one of these baits tied on.
Lipless Crankbaits
A lot of anglers like to throw red lipless crankbaits early in the year but then they put them away. Big mistake! These critters will make bass strike at any time of the year. I always carry a box of them in my boat.
They have the advantage of being offered in many sizes and weights as well as a billion colors and finishes. If you can’t find something that looks like the local baitfish in your lake or river it’s your fault. There’s no other way to put it.
I fish with the Rapala models.
There you have it — eight baits that’ll catch bass in the fall. Most of you probably already own a few of the traditional baits I talked about. That’s fine, but don’t neglect the nontraditional ones. They aren’t all that expensive and they’ll show the fish something different. Sometimes that’s all it takes to load the boat.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebook and Twitter or visit his website, MikeIaconelli.com.
